Regenerator



2 Sheets-Shaml l N, F. EGLER REGENERATOR Filed Jan.

sept. 11, 1934.

agua/wwf Sept. 11, 1934. N, F. EGLER 1,973,143

REGENERATOR Filed Jan. l0, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 6 v y A 150 JJM? l mdymwm Patented Sept. 11, 1934 .af-'res Unirse i s REGENERATOR Nicholas F. Egler, Monessen, Pa. Application January 10, 1933, Serial No. 650,977

8 Claims.

The invention relates to regenerators for openhearth furnaces. It has been found--for reasons with which this invention is not directly concerned-that in the operation of open-hearth furnaces of preferred size and capacity a plurality of regenerator units for the air is advantageous.

And it has been found that in the use of such a plurality of regenerator units a tandem arrangement, in which the whole stream of outgoing gases (at one end of the furnace) and the whole stream of entering air (at the other end) traverses the units in succession, is, from the point of View of efficiency, superior to a parallel arrangement, in which one portion of the divided stream traverses one chamber and another portion another chamber. But in the tandem arrangement the erosion of the stream lof outflowing gases upon the checkerwork in the regenerator units-and, particularly, in the first unit of the succession--is so great that the otherwise preferable arrangement has been abandoned, in favor of the inferior parallel arrangement.

I have discovered an arrangement of structure and a consequent method of operation which under normal conditions of draft (otherwise'established), while it affords successful (and, indeed, improved) regeneration, so far distributes the reduction in the rate of flow that in the first unit erosion is reduced and brought within practicable limits.

In the tandem scheme as, it heretofore has been projected the regenerator units are arranged in end-to-end succession in the direction of flow of the stream of gas; so that (qualified only by such subdivision and lateral spread of the stream as are incident to passage through checkerwork) the straight-line course only by turns in one planeordinarily the vertical plane.

Through experimentation and observation I have discovered that by arranging the tandem units side by side instead of end to end, in addition to the subdivision and lateral spread incident to regeneration, the stream is turned from the plane first indicated; it is diverted in a third dimension. The totality of the stream (speaking in specific terms of ordinary installation) is caused to follow not merely a vertically deviating course, but a Vcourse that deviates both vertically and laterally. Such third-dimensional meandering, I have found, imposes such check on the rate of ow that, with the successful (and, indeed, superior) regeneration, erosion is reduced and the scheme becomes practicable.

stream deviates from ar (Cl. 26S- 15) A regenerator which embodies the structure and admits of practice vof the method of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. I is a View in horizontal section through the regenerator and adjacent portions of the gas passageways; Fig. II is a View of the regenerator in vertical, longitudinal section, and to smallerscale, taken on the plane II-II of Fig. I; Fig. III is a view of the regenerator in Vertical cross-section, taken on the plane III-` III of Fig. I. And Fig. IV is a fragmentary view, comparable with Fig.` II, showing to smaller scale a modification in structure.

The regenerator installation includes a checker chamber l which is divided'longitudinally by aY partition 2, providing two compartments 3 and 4. The walls of the chamber 1 are constructed of refractory masonry, externally braced and reinforced by structural steel, according to usual practice. The compartments 3 and 4 are eachelongate in horizontal section (cf. Fig. I) compartment 3 is of `greater horizontal area than 'compartment fl, and both compartments are provided with refractory checkerwork 5. The partition 2 extends upward from the floor of the checker chamber, separating the vcheckerwork in the two compartments 3, 4. It is important to note thati the bodies of checkerwork in the two compartments are builtran interval above the floor of the chamber l, so that passages 6 are provided beneath checkerwork in chamber 3, and passageways 7 beneath the checkerwork in chamber 4. The passagesr 6 and passageways 7 extend length- 'wise of the respective chambers 3, 4 and parallel to the partition`2, and presently the advantages of this structure will be elaborated. In Fig. III it will be observed that the checkerwork 5 andv the partition 2 terminate at aninterval below they roof of the chamber l. Thus, thetwo checker compartments are in communication above,.and gases may flow transversely over the partition 2', leaving the top of the checkerwork in one compartment and entering the top of the checkerwork in the othercompartment. .v

AAt one vend of the checker chamber 1, I ,provide a Vslag-pecket, and, according to usual practice, a conduit 9 (Fig. II) extends from the` furnace (not shown) and opens into the slag-pocket. It

' will. be perceived that the slag-pocket extends an appreciable `distance below the oorl of chamber 1.V The gases coming from the furnace by way-'of conduit 9 enter the slag-pocket, whence they flow into Ythepassages 6 which open through the end wall 1a of the checker chamber. vThe communication between the slag-pocket and the passages siiiJ 6 is established through an orifice 10 formed in the wall of the checker chamber a substantial interval above the floor of the slag-pocket. The passages 6 also open through the opposite end wall 1b of the checker chamber, and, by means of a port 1l, the passages 6 are adapted to communicate with the lues 12 which extend to the usual reversing valves (not shown) of the furnace. The port 11 is provided with a closure 13, so that comle munication between the passages 6 and the flues l2 is at'the command of the furnace operator.

In passing, I may mention that the above-described regenerator structure, slag-pocket, and lues l2 are provided at each of the opposite ends 15 of the furnace. During operation of the furnace, the reversing Valves are so adjusted that, at the outgo end of the furnace, the iiues' 12 communi' cate with the stack, and, accordingly, constitute stack flues, while at the intake lend of the furnace,

duplicate Iiues 12 in communication with the air supply 'serve to admitl air to the regenerator.

- -Thef passageways 7, extending beneath the checkerwork in compartment 4, open through the wall/1b ofthe checker chamber, at the end ofthe chamber opposite the slag-pocket 8. It will be` f understood, therefore, that (slide 13 being closed) the waste gases enter the checker chamber 1 at oneen'd and Yto'one side ofthe paltitiOl 2,v and leave thef checkerv chamberby way of an opening 3() located atftheopposite end and to the opposite side` of the partition 2; and that in their coursev the waste gases flow through both of the two bodies of checkerwork: rst upwardly through' the body in chamber 3, thenabovepartition 2, and v thenddownwardl'y through the body in chamber 4. ,Upon leaving the outgo end of the furnace, the

hot waste gases pass through conduitv 9 and enter thejslag-pocket in its upper portion. The slagpocket is of relatively large internalv dimensions,

40 so that the waste gases expand, upon leaving thel conduitg; Such expansion arrests therilow of the gases inthe slag-pocket, andthe slag anddust particles (which arealways entrained with the hotwaste-gasesof anfopen-hearth furnace) are freedjto settle upon'the bottom o f the slag-pocket. `Upon'v entering'the slag-pocket,` the wasteV gases flow inthe general paths indicated by the arrows in Figi II, and'ilow into the passages 6 beneath the checkerwork in the larger of the `several (in this casey'show'two) checker compartments of i' the Iregener'ator. The eiectirvehorizontal area of the larger checker compartmen`t-the compartment 3`is atl least fty percent. greater'than the"l corresponding area of r'the smaller compartment'4. I' It is exceedingly importantthatthe hot wastefgases shall, upon leaving they slag-pocket, enter beneath the checkerwork in the largestoi the' vseveral*' 'comparti'nents in the regenerator. Thev waste gases 'entering the passages `6 flow in streamsrunnring parallel to the partition `2. 'Ihe Y elongate passages 6 vtendnto insure an even distribution of hot gases beneath the checkervf'ork, so that' all verticalways 14 in the checkerwork aresupplied with streams of gases, and localized overheating of the checkerwork prevented.

1 VAContrary vto the concernof others, Ifdornot specificallyjattempt,to keep the slag, included withl theY hot lwaste gases, in a molten. condition.

Indeed, I endeavorV to insure that so much of the,

includedfslagwandldust particles as are carried -overfintofthe passages 6 from the slag-pocket.

shallbe ina` substantially solid state, so that the particles'may settle looselyyuponthe fioorof the.

checker chamber. vIn rst passing and guiding thewaste gases beneath the v checkerwork ofthe better adapted to withstand the intense heat of the waste gases. 7

(2) By distributing and expanding the waste .gases beneath a large area of checkerwork, the

streams of gases must necessarily make abrupt turns, and ilow in angularly extending conduits astheyenter the vertical ways 14 in the checkerwork. The streams of gases in making these abrupt turns give up practically all of their includedslag and dust particles, so that, Yupon emerging' from the top of the checkerwork in compartment 3, the.Y gases, are substantially cleansed, The'.ireed slag and dust accumulate in loose condition'uponthe oor of thechecker compartment 3. 'Ihe other checker compartment (4) remains clean for long campaigns of furnace operation, and the furnace operator need only be concerned with removal of accumulated slag and dust from the slag .pocket and passages 6.4

While rising'through the checkerwork incornpartmeht, the waste gasestransfer-to the checkg` erwork large `quantities of,y their heat.. Upon reaching thetop of compartment 3 the gases iiow laterally of .thel checker. chamber 1` (Fig. III), acrossthe partition2, and enter the top of the eheckerwork inthe smaller compartment 4Q The; cleansed waste gases, duetothe suctioncreated,

in the system'byfthe usual ,fan or stack, are

drawn downward through thecheckerwork, and, enter the passageways 7.` In flowing throughV the checkerwork in vcompartment 4, thewaste gases.

give up` muchipf the residue of .their heat,and

so :providefthel smaller of thetwo checker. come partnents with astoreof heat at lower. tempera-- ture than the store of .heatin the larger compartment. r`The passageways 7, asabove mentioned, ext-'end 4beneath the checkerwork,-and `n *oughout .the length v,ofi the compartment. 4.

The waste gases enter. the `'passageways 7V at points along. the entire' length of the compartment r4, whence they. flowin streams'. runningy parallel to the partition- 2. lUpon streamingI to the ends-of passages 7, the gases enter the stack flues 12,

whence theyuare ultimately discharged into .ther open atmosphere. Thus, uponentering the,.p as, sages 6, the .gases in their totality turn upward and pass in vertical .plane throughr checker compartment 13';

compartment 4, end into thepassageways-f?, whereinmthe course of the gases. extendsina rnensional course. e

When. the furnace .is r,eversed,.and the regenerator becomes the air preheater, theflues 12` becorneair ductsffconveying'y cold air romthe atmospheretc. .tv l'ie'y checker chambers. Thel air en-y 1 ters passageways 7flows upward.v through compartrnent, 4.l and downward. through compartment 3, whencein highly heated conditioinlit enters the passages 6. From passages 6, the air vis, conducted to the furnaceinl accordance with usual practice.

d I at the topgof .compartment i3 the gases flew laterallyl of theplane of theirascent, and 'pass'downward in vertical plane, throughA the cold air first enters the smaller of the checkerv compartments, which also is the compartment whose checkers are preheated to the lower temerature. Accordingly, the air receives a primary preheating in compartment 4; this primary preheating effects, of course, an expansion of the air. The increased volume of air is readily accommodated by'the checkers in the larger, hotter compartment 3. Upon flowing downward through the checkers in compartment 3, the air issubjected to further preheating. This additional or secondary preheating, inthe larger co 1 partment 3, boosts the temperature of the air so that in largest measure the available heat in the products of combustion of the furnace (stored in the checkerwork) is transferred to the air for combustion.

My invention includes structural organization which permits the accumulations of slag and dust to be removed from the pasages 6, without closing and cooling down the structure. More specically, the wall 8a of the slag-pocket is provided with a door 15 which is so located with res ect to the passages 6 that, upon opening the door, a jet of steam or compressed air may be directed along passages 6, to clean away the accumulations of dust and slag. Before the jet is brought into play, however, the closure in port 1l is withdrawn, asin Fig. I it is shown to be, and thus the passages 6 are brought into direct communication with the stack ilues 12. Thereupon, a jet 150 of steam or compressed air (Fig. IV) is directed through the door 15 and along the passages 6, and the accumulations on the floor of the passages are blown into the stack flues 12, whence they are drawn into the stack and discharged. It will be understood, of course, that the passages 5 are only cleaned when the reversing valves of the furnace are so adjusted that the regenerator to be cleaned is connected to the stack of the furnace. It will also be manifest that the closure 13 remains in closed position across the port il, during the normal operation of the regenerator, and is opened only when the passages 6 are to be cleaned. In opening the closure 13, the draft of the stack becomes directly effective in the passages 6, and aids the jet in dislodging and removing the accumulated dust and slag. I contemplate, additionally, that the floor of the checker chamber 1 may be sloped in its extent from right to left (Fig. IV), to the end that any slag entering the passages 6 in liquid condition may flow down the sloping floor and return to the slag-pocket 8.

I claim as my invention: 1. A regenerator for a reversing furnace incl ding two unitsI of checkerwork arranged side y interconnected above for tandem .he said units being adapted to reeliver a of in relatively irse that side by side and in and to permit ilow ii one unit Vto a course transverse to the courses of and delivery.

2. A regenerator for a reversing furnace including two units of checkerwork arranged side v by side, and provided severally beneath with longitudinally-extending passageways for reception and delivery of a stream of gas, the passageway beneath at least one of said units being divided into a plurality of relatively elongate passages, said regenerator being provided above with a transversely-extending passageway for the advance of the stream of gas from'one of said units to the other, whereby 'the stream progressing through the two units intandem course, in addition to the meanderings of fractional` parts, incident to progress through checkerwork, caused in its totality to take a meandering three-dimensional' course in the regenerator.

3. A regenerator installation for a reversing furnace, including the combination of a slag pocket, a conduit extending from said furnace to said slag pocket, a checker chamber, a partition dividing A,said chamber intovtwo checker corn-` partments of unequal horizontalv areas, a passage extending beneath the checkerwork in the larger of said 'compartmentawvhich passage communicates with said slag pocket and opens through the wall of said chamber vat such region thatwaste gases advancing through the slag pocket from the furnace flowinto the passage in streams running substantially parallel to said partition, said partition terminating beneath the roof of lsaid chamber', whereby, upon moving upward through the larger checker compartment, the waste gases flow transversely of the chamber and enter the smaller of said'checker compartfi. A regenerator installation for a reversing furnace, including the combination Yof a slag pocket, a conduit extendingfrom said furnace to said slag pocket, a substantially rectangular checker chamber, a partition dividing said chamber into two checker compartments of unequal horizontal areas, said partition terminating beneath the roof of said chamber, whereby gaseous new may progress transversely of the chamber from the top of one check'er compartment to the top of the other checker compartment, a passage extending beneath the checkerwork in the larger of said compartments, which passage opens through the wall of said chamber adjacent one end and to one side of said partition and communicates with said slag pocket, a stack nue, and -i a passageway extending beneath the checkerwork in the smaller of said compartments, which passageway opens through the wall of said chamber adjacent the other end and to the other side of said partition and communicates with said L stack nue.

5. A regenerator installation for a reversing furnace, including the combination of a slag pocket, a conduit extending from said furnace to said slag pocket, a checker chamber, a partition extending longitudinally of said chamber and dividing it into two elongate checker compartments, a passagev extending from said slag pocket and opening through the wall at one end of the first of said elongate compartments, said passage being so disposed that waste gases advancing from the furnace sweep beneath the checkerwork in said compartment in streams that are substantially parallel to said partition, said two compartments being in direct communication adjacent the top of said partition, a stack flue, and-a passageway extending from said stack flue to one end of the second of said elongate compartments, which passageway is so disposed that waste gases leaving the second compartment sweep beneath 15./

its checkerwork in streams. thatare substantially parallel to said partition.

6. A regenerator installation for a reversing furnace, including the combination of a, slag pocket, a conduit extending from saidl furnace to said slag pocket, two checker compartments arranged side by side, one compartment being of substantially greater effective area than the. other, a passage openingr through the walllofthe larger o1l said compartments adjacent onerend of the regenerator and communicating with said; slag pocket, said lpassage being so disposed that waste gases advancing through the slag pocket from the furnace sweep beneath the checkworkk inV said larger compartment, a top passage between said two compartments, whereby, upon rising through the checkerwork of the larger of said compartments, the Waste gases enter the top of the smaller of said compartments, a stack flue, ,and a passageway extending from beneath the checkerwork in said smaller compartment'and communicating adjacent thev opposite end of the` regenerator with said stack ue.

7. A regenerator installation for a reversing partments and opening through one end wall of the compartment into said slag pocket, whereby waste gasesadvancing through thev slag pocket .from Uthe furnace sweep beneath the checkwork in `saidlarger compartment, a stack ue, a port in ,theopposite end wall of said compartment affordinggcommunication between said passage and said fiue, va closure for, said port, and a door in the wall o said slag pocket, which ,door is so locatedfwith respect to said'passage that steam or air jets may be directed into, said passage to blow slag-and dust accumulations into saidlue; .a top passage between said two checker compartments, whereby, upon rising through the checkerwork of the` larger ofsaid compartments, ,the waste gases enter lthe top of thesmallerof said compartments, and a passageway extending from beneath the checkerwork in said smaller compartment to said stack flue. Y l

8. A regenerator installation for a reversing furnace, including the combination of a slag pocket,a conduit extending from said furnace to said slag pocket, a checker chamber, a passage beneath the checkerwork in said chamber communicating at one end with,` said slag pocket, ,a stack-nue, a port at the opposite -end of said passage adapted to establish communication between said passage and said ue, a closure for said port, and a door in the wall of said slag pocket, which door is so located with respect to said passage that dust-removing jets or" air or steam may bedirected along said passage and toward the port opening into said ue.

NICHOLAS F. EGLER.' 

